Second Comprehensive Plan Meeting In Lexington Next Week

LEXINGTON - The second of two required public hearings on a prospective Comprehensive Plan for Lexington is set to unfold next week.

Town council members will hold the session on September 17 starting at 6 p.m. following the first meeting, two weeks earlier.

Local planning board chairwoman Jenni Cawein, at that time, presented a draft version of the proposed rewrite, joined by former town council member Lynn Byrne and resident Kim McGalliard.

Those three women, guided by consultant Nan Stolzenburg, have pieced together the update over the past two years, ultimately replacing a document adopted in the early 2000’s.

“This is an opportunity for the town to define what we want to do over the next ten to fifteen years and how to do it,” Cawein said.

“We wanted it to be simple and easy to read. Mostly we want it to be action oriented so people use it. We don’t want it to just sit on a shelf.” 

Toward that end, the preliminary copy (which is available for perusal on the town website) states, “a comprehensive plan is a locally developed document that serves to guide decision-making in the Town.

“It is a community-generated plan that generally answers important questions about the Town. This Plan is ‘comprehensive’ in that it explores the diversity of resources and conditions that exist within the Town. 

“It provides the planning data and policy for future economic, housing, recreation, land use, environmental and other decision-making.

“This Plan is intended to be a vital document on which local decision making is based and incorporates many of the other planning efforts undertaken in the past few years by the Town of Lexington.”

Under the heading “Vision & Goals,” the preliminary copy states, “public input received is the key foundation and strength of this plan.

“That input (gathered through a townwide survey) together with data and maps was used to identify Lexington’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) facing the Town.

“From that, the vision and goals were developed. The recommendations made in this Plan can be directly tied to those strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

“The long-term vision of the Town of Lexington is:

“To be remarkable for its rural, Mountain Top character, extraordinary natural beauty, its quiet and peaceful quality of life and its close knit, small, and friendly community.

“The quiet and unique natural setting of the Town continues to be one of its strongest assets, attracting permanent and long-term seasonal residents and visitors alike. 

“Lexington remains predominantly rural and residential, with a low density of residences that provide housing opportunities for people of all incomes.

“We welcome small, locally oriented businesses concentrated in our hamlets. Our history and historical character, especially in the hamlets, continue to be an important aspect of our community. 

“Over the next 10 years, the town will have well-maintained and safe local roads, accessible emergency services, and other public services needed by our community members.

“Our vision is to moderate growth inconsistent with the values of Lexington. There is a strong desire to prevent growth that diminishes our sense of place, beautiful environment and natural resources.

“Widespread residential development and more intensive businesses or tourist operations are controlled so as to maintain the essence of Lexington. 

“The Town wishes to maintain home rule to the greatest extent possible, to support a stable economy for the benefit of its residents and to provide a safe, healthy environment for all of its families.”

Statistics contained in the proposed Comprehensive Plan show the population has remained basically steady over the past 8 decades.

The population was 827 in 1940, the pre-World War II years, dipping to 666 in 1970 before climbing back up to 770 in 2020, the last year of referenced U.S. Census records.

Cawein, in her presentation during the first public hearing, emphasized the Comprehensive Plan “does have some legal weight,” establishing guidelines to protect the town from incongruous development.